The Things We Go Through
by Hearts Desire
Summary: SQUEL TO GRATEFUL REUNION Shannon's getting a lot better. Or so everyone thinks until a serious turn of events takes him back to where he was when Mark was there, and always on his back. Can his friends help him or will he be suckered back into the trap?
1. Default Chapter

A/N- Wow, this has been in the works for a while. So I hope that y'all still like it. I am thinking about making this a three part series, maybe not. I don't know what's planned for this. AND DON'T WORRY! My co-written Mary Sue will be updated SOON! Um, I don't really know how good this is, seeing as, I haven't talked to some of you in such a long time.  
  
Disclaimer- Own no one. Maybe a few non-important people will run through every once in a while, but that's it.  
  
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++_++_  
  
The Things We Go Through  
  
Chapter One (8 to 12 months later. It doesn't really matter right now)  
  
_++_++  
  
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Shannon grasped Jeff's hand as they went in to the new restaurant that Matt had opened in downtown Cameron. Matt had always wanted to own a dance club/restaurant. He loved to cook and he was damn good at dancing, too. The dance club was called 'Cameron's Backyard'. "Reason why, unknown." Jeff always said. It wasn't in Cameron's backyard. It was still in the town.  
  
Things had been going pretty good, for the most part. Shannon was opening up to people a bit more than when this had all first happened. He was getting more used to being around people that were bigger than he was, with out getting afraid, since Mark was a bigger man. He was getting better at controling his emotions, too, and even started seeing a counselor or trainer twice a week to help him out even more.  
  
He still hadn't gotten over the fear of being alone with someone he didn't know too well or someone he didn't trust. He still hopped from emotion to emotion every once in a while. He didn't like people he didn't know touching him. Not even a shake of the hand. He also changed his ring gear back to a wife-beater and loose pants, careful what moves he was doing and who with.  
  
Jeff led his smaller lover over to a table on the upper level that protruded a little bit over the edge of the dancefloor. The place was alive with sound and people, lights flashing all over the place. Jeff helped Shannon into his seat, before taking one across from him. "Do you want a drink?" he called over the music.  
  
"Yeah, sure." Shannon called back.  
  
"Hi, I'm Nancey. Can I help you today?" the waitress asked, coming over. She was obviously new.  
  
"Hi, Nancey. Um, we need two of the specials of the day. Where's Matt? Is he here?"  
  
"Yeah, he's in the back. Are you a friend?" Nancey asked.  
  
"I'm his brother, Jeff. This is Shannon. Yeah, we need to talk to him. If he's not too busy. If so, it can wait."  
  
"I'll go get him, Mr. Hardy."  
  
"Don't call me Mr. Hardy. You can call me Jeff."  
  
Nancey smiled and blushed a little bit, heading into the back. Shannon chewed his lip carefully. He had started acting different around Matt ever since the whole ordeal. A few minutes later, Matt appeared that the table. he smiled brightly, leaning over the table and handing the two their drinks.  
  
"Hey guys! What's up? How are you?" he asked, "Enjoying yourselves?"  
  
"Boy, you're animated today." Jeff noted.  
  
"Yeah, well, everyone deserves to be happy, right?"  
  
Shannon looked to the ground. Mark told him that before once. He snapped from his thoughts as he felt Matt's nudge him on the arm.  
  
"You feeling okay today, Shann? Everything going good for you?"  
  
"Um," Shannon cleared his throat, "Yeah. I'm alright."  
  
"You been seeing your counselor and stuff?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm glad to see things working for you. You should be happy."  
  
Shannon nodded, focusing on his hands that were fumbling with a napkin in his lap.   
  
"What have you been up to, Jeff?" he heard Matt ask.  
  
"Nothing really. Slowly progressing. Taking each day as it comes."  
  
Shannon winced, knowing that Jeff was talking about him.  
  
"Yeah. I understand. So, what do you guys have planned for today?" Matt asked, directing the question to both of them again.  
  
"Um, well, we're going to a photo-shoot and interview at 2, then I think we're meeting Vince for dinner tonight. Since we're having a show in Raliegh tomorrow."  
  
"All the wrestlers?"  
  
"Mhmm." Jeff nodded, stirring his drink with a stirrer.  
  
Matt had quit wrestling no more than four months after Mark was sentanced to jail. He said that his heart just wasn't into it anymore after what happened. Vince was very leniant with Shannon. Shannon really wanted to stay with the business, which helped Vince with the company as well. Vince had wanted to put the rosters back together, but still keep the seperate shows, meaning that Smackdown, Raw, Velocity, and Sunday Night Heat were all still shows, just featured both of the old roster's characters. Most of the rookies were on Sunday Night Heat and Velocity, and most of the older or more experienced wrestlers were on Raw and Smackdown!. Jeff really liked that. It meant that he and Adam could work together again.  
  
"Well," Matt sighed, slapping his hands on the table, "I've gotta get back to work."  
  
"Yeah, we should be leaving, too." Jeff replied, finishing his drink and nodding to Shannon.  
  
Shannon stood up tentively, catching Matt's eyes for only a second. "Well, have fun, guys. I'll see you when you all get back, okay?" Matt smiled.  
  
"Yeah. We'll see ya then. Y'keep this place standing for us." Jeff joked.  
  
"I'll make sure of it. See ya."  
  
Jeff waved good-bye to his brother and took Shannon's hand as they left the club. "Well, that was fun, right? Y'know, seein' Matty 'fore we leave?"  
  
"Mhmm." Shannon agreed.  
  
*~*  
  
"Hey guys. How was your day?" Vince asked as Shannon and Jeff arrived at the restaurant in Raliegh where they were meeting for dinner.  
  
"It was good. Lots of fun stuff."  
  
"That's very nice. I hope this wasn't too far for you guys to drive." Vince said, taking his seat, nodding to two empty chairs next to Paul Wight, Adam Copeland, and Chris Benoit.  
  
Jeff pulled Shannon's seat out a bit for him since Shannon's hands were settled into his hoodie then took a seat across from him. Shannon took the seat between Adam and Vince and Jeff sat next to Paul and Chris.  
  
"No, it wasn;t too far. We came up right after the photo shoot to look around and stuff. We haven't been up here for a while, so it's a welcome exchange." Jeff said, settling in his seat.  
  
Shannon nodded when Vince looked at him, sittiing on the edge of his seat uncomfortabley.  
  
"How're things goin', Shann?" Adam asked. Shannon had gotten the past week off, and that was when Adam had returned from a five week ankle injury.  
  
"Alright." Shannon said, quietly, "Me'n Jeffy have been havin some fun repaintin' the house."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Yeah."   
  
A waitress came by, taking everyone's orders who hadn't ordered already. Jeff talked to some of the other superstars while Vince was interested in talking to Shannon. He was probably the only other person besides Jeff, Jay, and Shane that Shannon could talk to without being embarassed or anything. The orders came and everyone was ready to leave about an hour later.  
  
"Alright, everyone. Don't forget that everyone has to be at the arena by three. Main eventers should be there by two." Vince said as everyone started to leave.  
  
Jeff wrapped his arm around Shannon's waist, leading him from the resaurant. "Did you have a nice time tonight?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah. It was a lot of fun. Me'n Vince were talkin' And me 'n Adam, too. I'm glad to see his ankle's all better."  
  
"Yeah. It's good. He's been wanting to get back."  
  
Jeff held the car door open for Shannon, who climbed in and opened the door for Jeff from the inside. Jeff drove around the town for a little bit. "Should we just get a hotel or should we drive back to Cameron?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Um, why don't we go to a hotel. It's a bit late to be going back home." Shannon answered, looking at the clock that read 10:00pm.  
  
"Yeah. Well, there's Adam's car, why don't we follow him and stay where him and Jay are staying?"  
  
"That's good enough. I'm gettin' real tired."  
  
He had been a lot ever since the whole thing with Mark. Tests had proved that he hadn't gotten any diseases or anything from Mark or anything; he was just getting tired easier. It'd scared Jeff, so he had asked a doctor about it. he said that Shannon would keep getting tired easier until he was over what happened enough that he wasn't as emotionally drained. Then, he wouldn't be physically drained as easy. Jeff had gotten used to it so it was all good now.  
  
Jeff followed Adam into the parking lot of a big hotel. "Adam!"  
  
Adam and Jay turned around at Jeff's voice. "Hey! What're you guys doin' here?" Jay asked, giving Jeff a hug. He gave Shannon one, too, then Shannon took his hand in his.  
  
Jay smiled. He hadn;t seen Shannon in such a long time. It was fine with Jeff that Shannon had such a close relationship with Jay. They had been together before he Shannon got with Jeff and Jay with Adam. They were still close and talked all of the time. Jeff and Shannon bought a room next to Adam and jay's and they all checked in.  
  
"Well, guys, Shannon's getting tired, so I think we're just going to add up. Call us in the morning if you want to get breakfast or something." Jeff said, smiling as Shannon wrapped his arm around Jeff's waist, leaning on his shoulder.  
  
"Alright. We will. Night." Adam and Jay said.  
  
Jeff and Shannon waved goodbye to their friends and headed upstairs. They only had two bags each, so it wasn't a lot to carry upstairs. Jeff swiped the keycard and they both went into the room. Shannon dropped his bags, heading to the bathroom.  
  
"You gonna take a shower, Shann?" Jeff asked, picking to the t.v remote.  
  
"Short one."   
  
"Alright. I'ma order us a movie, alright?"  
  
"Yeah." Shannon replied from behind the heavy wooden door.  
  
"Comedy or what?"  
  
"SCOOBY DOO!"  
  
"Jeff laughed. "Shannon, I don't know if they have it."  
  
"Well they should. There's a movie. I've seen it three times. Not as good as the cartoon, but it's still good."  
  
"The cartoon's got a marthon on tonight. Wanna just watch that?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
Jeff shook his head, settling the t.v on the cartoon network as the shower turned on. About twenty minutes later, Shannon came out from the bathroom. His hair was hung in loose strands and he had a towel wrapped arouns his waist as he settled to looking for some clothes in his bag.  
  
"I seen this one!" he said happily, pulling on some boxers and a pair of loose sweat pants before jumping excited on the bed.  
  
"I thought you were tired." Jeff asked, pulling lightly on Shannon's pants to sit him down.  
  
"I am, but I can't miss the theme of Scooby! I hardly getta watch it no more! Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now-"  
  
Jeff shook his head again as Shannon continued to jump on the bed, singing along to the theme as the station played the next episode.  
  
*~  
  
A/N- that's all fer this chapter. I know it ain't long, but I wanna see if people'll read it if I posted it. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Thanks a lot to Jeff's Favourite Skittle. You are really great! Also, any readers interested in having their stories posted on TSF new website, feel free to e-mail me. Also, Perfect Match should be updated by the end of next week, but it's not promised.  
  
Disclaimer- Own no one.  
  
--*--  
  
The Things We GO Through  
  
chapter 2  
  
--*--  
  
Jeff rolled over the next morning and placed a hand on part of the bed in front of him. He patted it flattly, then again, wondering what was missing. He sat up and looked around blankly. Ah, that was it, Shannon wasn't in the bed next to him, that's what was off. The bag on the floor showed that Shannon had obviously dug through it in search of clothes and hadn't bothered to pick everything else up. The shower wasn't running, but the light was on since it was still kind of dark and the bathroom had no windows.  
  
Jeff stumbled out of bed and put on some clothes before making his way to the bathroom door. He knocked on the redwood and, hearing Shannon say to come in, went inside. Shannon was stnding by the sink, brushing his teeth. A towle was slung around his waist and there were a few drying footprints in the bath rug. He smiled at Jeff, letting the toothbrush settle in his mouth as he let go with his hand.  
  
"Morning." he said before resuming brushing.  
  
"Morning. You're up early." Jeff replied, stripping his clothes and folded them onto the toilet seat before stepping into the shower.  
  
"Yeah, couldn't really sleep."  
  
"What's wrong?" Jeff called over the running water.  
  
He could hear Shannon spit out his toothpaste and start rinsing his brush. He took a few seconds to rinse his mouth and wipe it off before answering.  
  
"I don't really know."  
  
"Did ya have another nightmare or something?"  
  
"No. Just couldn't sleep. I'll catch up after lunch or something."  
  
Jeff aplied the cheap hotel shampoo to his hair.   
  
"Hey, Jeff, ya know I left my shampoo in there for you?" Shannon said, noticing Jeff's shadow as he reached for the shelf instead of on the floor where Shannon always kept his shampoo.  
  
Jeff grunted in frustration, "I already used this crap. Why do you keep your shampoo on the floor anyways? Why not in my line of sight?"  
  
"Cause then I know where it is and I don't have to look for it."  
  
"Then put it on a shelf."   
  
"Not all places have shelves, Jeff." Shannon replied nonsensely as he dried his face and left the room.  
  
Jeff hurried and finished his shower. He dried off and put on his clothes again, since he had just put them on before taking the shower. He brushed his hair and his teeth before heading into the room as well. Shannon had begun digging through his bag again and now there were things everywhere.   
  
"What are you looking for?"   
  
"I...can't...find...my...shirt." Shannonstressed, continuing through his bag and tossing everything.  
  
"Well, which one? The bag's almost empty."  
  
"I still gotta go through the other one, though. I stopped half way through"  
  
"Which shirt, Shann?" Jeff repeated, looking at the disaster as Shannon dumped his bag and started on the half empty other one.  
  
"The stupid red one."  
  
"The one I gave you?"  
  
"No. The one I took from Adam, like, three years ago."  
  
Jeff rolled his eyes and picked up the red shirt from where it had landed on the top of a lamp. He tossed it unceremoniously at Shannon. Shannon whipped it off his head and scowled at it.  
  
"There it is. Where was it?"  
  
"You threw it over the lamp, idiot."  
  
"I'm not an idiot." Shannon replied, pulling the shirt over his head and tying his shoes.  
  
"Are you ready to get something to eat?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm STARVING." Shannon stressed.  
  
"Good, so am I. I called Jay before I went to sleep last night and he said they would meet us downstairs around nine."  
  
Shannon checked his watch. "Then we're late."  
  
Jeff checked his watch, too. "Shit. We'd better go, then."  
  
Jeff grabbed his wallet and they headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant. They looked around for a minute until Adam adn Jay caught their attention from their table and waved them over.   
  
"What took you guys so long?" Adam asked, handing jeff a menu  
  
"Showers." Jeff replied.  
  
"Did we keep you waiting too long?" Shannon yawned.  
  
"No, we were a bit late, too."  
  
"But it wasn't for showers, if ya know what I mean!" Jay laughed.  
  
Adam shook his head. "No, Jay slept too late."  
  
Jay slumped, "Liar."  
  
Shannon laughed and patted Jay on the back in mock sympathy, "There, there."  
  
Jeff shook his head, repeating Adam's motions a few minutes later.   
  
~~*~~  
  
Jeff pulled his armband over his upper arm and grabbed his face paint. He was supposed to go on in about fifteen minutes and he had lost his bag, so he had started getting ready late. He examined his now blue-green, and orange hair and searched through the colors of paint he had brought. Deciding on light blue, he began smearing it over himself.  
  
"Come in." he called at the knock on his door.  
  
"Hey, Jeff."  
  
"Oh, hi Chris." Jeff said as Benoit entered the room, "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing, really. Just wondering what you were doing." Chris said, taking a seat on the couch in the small room no bigger than a large closet.  
  
Jeff alughed a bit. "I know that tone more than almost everyone. What's really up?" he asked, adding the finally touches of blue paint to his face.  
  
"Alright." Chris sighed, "I was just wondering...what's up with Moore? I've known him for a while. I know we're not tight or nothing, but we're still friends and I...he's been acting different in the apst few months. Vince just told us all to be careful around him and... Kyle (stagehand) told me earlier that Vince explained everything during the months I was gone on injury.  
  
I didn't want to ask anyone else, cause you know, they might not wanna talk or something. So, I decided to come to you cause I can't find Shannon and even if I did, he-"  
  
"Chris." Jeff said, cutting off Chris' seemingly endless flow of words, "I have no problem talking about it. It really pisses me off. See, Mark. Calloway. He really fucked up. While you were out on injury, Mark started going out with Matt, y'know that right?"  
  
Chris nodded, "Never really knew what was up with that."  
  
"Yeah. It's a kinda weird pairing. Anyways, I'm still not quite sure why, but Mark was beating up on Shannon and stuff and he started raping him."  
  
Chris gasped.  
  
"Yeah. I know. That's why Shann's kinda weirded around some people. People don't like to talk about it. Mark was put in jail, though. Got fired, too."  
  
"Chris shook his head, "That's sick, man. So, where's Shannon, anyways?"  
  
"I think he's with Adam. They have a match or something tonight."  
  
There was another knock on the door before it was pulled open by a stagehand.  
  
"Mr. hardy, you're on in five. Mr. Benoit, you're needed for an interview."  
  
Chris and Jeff both nodded and left the room.  
  
~*~  
  
Shannon smiled at Jeff as the older man made his way to his locker room. Jeff looked around Shannon's locker room, which he started getting specially from Vince so he felt safer.  
  
"Wow. They really rigged you up in this place."  
  
"Yeah. I'd rather have a smaller one, but this one's nice. Look," he said, turning a third knob on the sink, "Ice water."  
  
Jeff put hsi hand under the stream. "Wow, that's cold. I'd trade you this room for mine! I hardly get cold water itself!"  
  
Shannon smirked a bit, "I caught your match. Your arm alright?"  
  
"Yeah. I should ask how you are. Heard you took a pretty nasty bump out there with Eddie."  
  
"I'm fine, except for the fact we're driving all the way out to Chicago."  
  
"I can drive all night tonight, if you want. Or we can drop of the car at home and take a cab to the airport or something."  
  
"Why don't we-"  
  
Shannon was cut off by Chris Benoit, Adam, Jay, and Oscar, who jogged over to where he and Jeff were standing.   
  
"Guys, um, we were wondering if you wouldn't mind doin' us a favour?" Jay asked.  
  
"Uh-uh, no way we are joining THAT orgy!" Jeff joked.  
  
"No. Um, it's kinda going on a pretty long road trip to Chicago and-"  
  
"You wer wondering if we'd drive with you?" Shannon guessed, knowing already what was coming.  
  
"Yeah." Adam replied.  
  
"Actually, we were just talking about something like that. Right before y'all interrupted us. We'd..love to, right?" Jeff asked Shannon.  
  
"Yeah, that's fine with me." Shannon replied, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder.  
  
"Okay. Well, thi is your car, right Jeff, so what do you wanna do with it? Chris, Oscar and I all have rentals." Adam said, looking around.  
  
"D'you want to drive to the airport and turn in you're guys' cars, then I can put mine in the car storage or something?" Jeff thought.  
  
"That'd work. Wouldn't it? Then we could just take a plane out to Chicago and you could pick your car up when you fly back in. That works."  
  
"Bien, vayamos obtiene nuestras bolsas cargades y nosotros acabamos de seguir usted tipos al aeropuerto. Let us load up and we'll follow you." Oscar nodded.  
  
Shannon and Jeff put their bags in the back of Jeff's wrangler and set back up the seats they had put down earlier so they could fit Jeff's latest creation. Adam and Jay pulled up in their rental, soon followed by Oscar and Chris.  
  
"We'll hurry up and get the car checked in so we have time to do stuff in Chicago." Jeff called before they pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
It didn't take too long at the rental center or the car holdage, and luckily they all got to the airport half an hour before a flight left for Chicago. They checked their bags and boarded the plane around 11:30. They would get there around 1:00. Oscar, Adam and Jay settled in the front three seats while Jeff, Shannon, and Chris sat behind them.  
  
"Hey, Oscar. Whassaya have planned on doing in Chicago? I heard you were staying longer and taking the last possible flight out to Wyoming?" Jeff asked, leaning forwards toward the seats in front of them.  
  
"Planeaba a encontrar Juventud Guerrera cuano llegamosa a Chicago. Yo no lo he visito ental tiempo largo. El es mi amigo. Mi hermano." Oscar said.  
  
He caught Jeff's confused look. "Sorry, Esse. I was planning on meeting Juvi. I haven't seen him in a while and he's like my brother."  
  
Jeff nodded, "Ah."  
  
The overhead signal flashed and a flight attendant came over the loud speaker telling everyone precautions and things. Knowing everything already, the Superstars settled back. Jeff was just nodding off when they lifted from the airport.  
  
"Hey, what're you guys all doin' on this flight? I thought alla you were driving!"  
  
Jeff looked up, knowing that voice. "Hey, Billy." he said, giving the tall natural blonde some kind of hand signal, "Yer on here, too?"  
  
"Yeah. Figured it'd be easier to leave as soon as possible and not risk anything. Ya know what happened last time, W e went, had time, and we all ended up four hours late."  
  
Jeff laughed as Billy headed to the back for some reason. The plane landed a couple of hours later, just on time. The Chicago airport was nearly empty since it was so late. Everyone got their bags and they went to catch a cab to the car rental. Two to a car, just like last time. When they finally found a hotle that wasn't too far from the arena or the airport, they all headed up to their rooms to get some sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N- nother shorty, but the next will have som emore action, I promise. (If I get reviews, of course!" 


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